While NBA fans play the wait-and-see game to find out if any team will make a move and trade for Carmelo Anthony, the Los Angeles Lakers may not be the most likely destination. There actually may not be any “most likely” destination as things currently stand, at least according to recent rumblings. After the Houston Rockets dealt Anthony to the Chicago Bulls, who have no interest in playing the veteran forward, it’s been almost all radio silence.
Although the Lakers remain the team linked to Anthony in the largest capacity, that doesn’t necessarily mean a whole lot. Especially considering they were unwilling to give the Rockets anything in order to bring the former All-Star to town. And now, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported on the Nate Duncan podcast that the team may not be all that interested in acquiring Anthony.
Instead, he cited LeBron James as the driving force behind any interest, as Clutch Points detailed.
“Well, LeBron James is over there,” Haynes said on the Nate Duncan podcast. “And he’s made it quite clear that he would like to play with Carmelo Anthony. So if we’re going off of the past, LeBron typically has a strong voice and teams usually operate in a manner that’s going to appease him. So I will say that he definitely has interest.
“I don’t know necessarily that the Lakers brass is all that interested in bringing Carmelo Anthony on board.”
Carmelo Anthony’s Future Outlook
While Anthony could remain with the Bulls up until the trade deadline, the level of interest he would have if waived is a bit unknown. The Lakers remain odds-on favorites to be the 34-year-old’s next team, though, as Bovada revealed (courtesy of Odds Shark).
- Los Angeles Lakers -200
- Portland Trail Blazers +450
- Miami Heat +500
- Philadelphia 76ers +600
- Detroit Pistons +900
- San Antonio Spurs +900
- Washington Wizards +2000
Even with the likelihood that James is the driving force behind any interest in Anthony landing with the Lakers, the team adding him wouldn’t be surprising. But the big issue and potential hold up stems from the current roster and the team’s lack of interest in getting rid of a player with a guaranteed contract.
Lakers Potentially Set to Stand Pat?
The initial report came from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski who reported that the Lakers have some level of interest in Anthony, but the roster situation is an issue.
“Sources: The Lakers maintain interest in Anthony, but do not want to waive a guaranteed player to create a roster spot for him, league sources tell ESPN. If a roster spot eventually opens with LA, yes, the Lakers are a possible destination for Anthony.” Wojnarowski tweeted.
Considering that the Lakers have a number of pieces who could potentially be included in a larger trade (possibly for Anthony Davis) it makes sense they’d want to hold off. Even going down the team’s current bench, a few of the younger players hold some trade value. Time will tell, but whether the Anthony-to-Los Angeles situation pans out is anyone’s guess at this point.
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Lakers Trade Talk: Front Office Not Interested in Carmelo Anthony?